


The Light in the Distance

by Bartkartoffeln



Series: (World of) Warcraft Stories [2]
Category: World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft - Legion
Genre: Adventure, Battle, Blood, Happy Ending, Legion addon lore, M/M, Romance, Self-Indulgent, battle violence, kinda slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 01:35:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19819825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bartkartoffeln/pseuds/Bartkartoffeln
Summary: To end the Legion's demonic advance against all the worlds, the demon hunter Ashuran and Archmage Khadgar need to work together on a field mission to find an important artefact for Illidan Stormrage. After the mission they both find the presence of the other to be quite delightful. Between assaults of the Legion and the daily business of war, there is not much time to forge a bond, yet that does not prevent them from trying.





	1. The Light in the Distance

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear reader,
> 
> this is a very self-indulgent story of my demon hunter Ashuran and the Archmage Khadgar. Romance is involved, as the tags are claiming. It is easier to read when you know the Legion addon of WoW, but someone who read this without knowing much about WoW said, it's entertaining, so I hope this is one for both fans of WoW and those who aren't.

“Come on, Archmage. Almost there.”  
Ashuran carried the man more than he supported him. For now, there were no demons close enough to be a threat, but soon there would be.

The last days had been a strain on both of them. While looking for the disks that contained valuable information on the Throne of Antorus, they had also managed to close another main portal, cutting off more forces of the Legion.

They were both exhausted, and a few skirmishes with demons had left them with minor wounds. The archmage had depleted his mana resources, but it was the Fel in the air that exhausted him harder than the demon hunter.

Ashuran clenched his teeth, as Khadgar became heavier by the second. He could already see the shimmer of light ahead, down the steep, rocky mountainside. A narrow path wound down the slope in a meandering serpentine.  
Spiky rock formations lined the way. In between lay boulders strewn, illuminated by the stars and veins of Fel-green energy in the ground.

The lightforged signal, that would take them back to the Vindikaar and thus safety was merely a long glide away.  
But his wings would not be able to hold the weight of two persons. Alone, Ashuran could have made it.

“You should go,” Khadgar said, his voice rasping, obviously having the same thought. 

“If you would just put a little more effort into walking, we could make it. Now pull yourself together, Archmage. We can and will make it home.” Ashuran spat back.

Khadgar had been a friend to the Illidari when the world still hadn’t seen their value - nor trusted them.  
He really didn’t want to leave the man behind, but the Archmage surely didn’t make it easy for him.

“You remind me a lot of him right now.”, Khadgar murmured. “Just a bit more on the snarky side.”

Ashuran snorted. “Lord Illidan and I might share many traits on the outside, but I can assure you that we are quite different characters.”

“Not talking about Illidan.”, Khadgar wheezed. 

Ashuran didn’t have the time to ponder over the man’s words. He could feel the presence of demons behind them. Despite the rocky slope and myriads of boulders, there was no place to hide.

“On my back, NOW!” He commanded, spreading his wings. Maybe if they only attempted short glides, a few feet at at time, they would gain some advance. By now, Khadgar might have restored some of his mana. Maybe enough to channel a signal spell to draw the attention of the watch around the Lightforged Signal.

Khadgar climbed on Ashuran’s back, and the demon hunter willed himself to move as fast as possible. He stepped on a small ledge and jumped, spreading his wings farther. It was just a short glide, but the strain on his back muscles was painful nonetheless.

A bolt of Fel energy shot past them, followed by a second and a third. He dodged on instinct, using boulders and curves in the slope as cover whenever possible.  
When the first Fel bolt struck one of his wings, Ashuran went down with a curse. He managed to prevent a hard fall, but they still hit the ground ruggedly.  
With another curse on his lips, Ashuran dragged Khadgar behind a boulder.

The Archmage was rubbing his left shoulder, face grim. His staff didn’t have a scratch, though the demon hunter supposed that was due to its magical qualities. 

“You need to get us help, Archmage. I don’t care how you do it, if you use magic, a smoke signal or if you yell for help. The outpost is not far now. I’ll hold the demons off, you get us help.”

Ashuran straightened, drawing his glaives. Khadgar looked up into the fierce face of the demon hunter, shaking his head. “This is madness, Ashuran. Take the disks and go.” 

“You were our friend when we struggled to find allies. I will not abandon you, Khadgar. As a demon hunter, sacrifices are daily business - but this shouldn’t be the case for you. I’ve faith in you. You’ll find a way, you always do.”  
Ashurans voice was calm, encouraging. With a determined smile, he vanished in the direction of the demons.

Khadgar drew a hand over his face, feeling despair washing over him. Such words from an Illidari. They’d been on a mission for days - his first field mission. Ashuran was often hard, abrupt. Fast decision making was of the essence if you were out there. 

Yet, he’d always felt safe with the Illidari. Now, the sounds of battle made Khadgar cringe. Not because he didn’t know battle, but because he felt utterly helpless. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

Closing the portal had taken a lot out of him, so much, even cantrips provided to be difficult right now. The Fel in the air and the ground weakened him.  
Mabe yelling for help was indeed the only option he had.

Blood splattered on the ground, the head of a demon rolled past. When the sound of cracking rock filled the air, Khadgar peeked around the boulder, only to see Ashuran on the ground, rolling out from under a stomping hoof. 

Dread filled the Archmage. He needed an idea, a plan, and soon. A cantrip he could work. Anything that would be of use.

Then it struck him. The walls, the stones, the echoes! If he just magnified the sound with a good angle, the echo might carry down the mountainside, alerting the outpost!

Khadgar forced himself to his feet, using his staff for support. He looked around, searching for a good spot to yell against.  
Channeling his last drop of mana into an enforced cantrip, he yelled as loud as he could.

His voice became a thunderous noise, ringing in his own ears. Blood welled from his nose and ears. Khadgar’s head felt heavy, a splitting headache torturing him already. He had over-channelled his magic.

Ashuran flew past the boulder, breaking his fall with his wings and landing harshly on his feet, stumbling. Blood dripped from the demon hunter's face, his left arm hanging limp. One of the gushes on his right arm healed already, still he looked beaten.

The fury on his face turned it into a mask of vengeance and determination. He jumped at the Nathrezim in front of him, slicing his chest open. Khadgar stumbled backwards, when the huge demon fell to the ground beside him. 

With a battlecry on his lips, Ashuran leaped back into the horde of demons, leaving a rune on the ground that scorched their skin.

The fight dragged on. When Khadgar was about to lose hope that help would come, finally three Illidari rushed up the mountain slope. They threw themselves at the demons with a vigor that was once again stunning to behold. 

Relieved, the archmage sank to the ground, his back against the boulder behind him. 

“Resourceful, Khadgar. I’m once again impressed.” Illidan said, doubtlessly referring to the creative way of calling for help. The nightelf demon hunter was perching atop the boulder, wings halfway spread. Khadgar couldn’t even tell when the man had landed there.

“Ashuran?” he asked, not looking at Illidan.

“He’ll live.”  
Illidan swung himself from the boulder and in front of Khadgar. “I just hope your little trip with my First in Command was worth the price.”  
He offered his hand, helping the archmage to his feet.

Khadgar drew a few obsidian discs from his bag, dropping them in Illidan’s hand. “Worth it. The way into the Throne of Antorus is within our grasp.”

“Well done.”  
Illidan turned the discs between his fingers, a vicious smile of satisfaction spreading on his face.

Meanwhile, a few paladins of the Army of Light made their way up the slope, helping with clearing away the last of the demons. Khadgar watched them run past, all except for one, who was turning towards him. 

“Let me tend to your wounds, Archmage. You look terrible.” the draenei said, raising her hands.  
“Most of it is Manaburn.” Khadgar muttered. Nothing the Light could heal.  
The warm feeling washing over his body felt good anyway, taking away a part of the exhaustion and cleaning away blood and a few minor wounds he had suffered.

One of the Illidari, Kayn Sunfury, stepped around the boulder. He was supporting Ashuran, one arm wrapped around his waist. 

Ashuran’s silvery blonde hair was matted with blood. One of his wings was torn, hanging down limply, and his battered leather armor showed bloody gashes in several places.  
“Now, archmage, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”, he rasped with a mocking smile on his face.

Khadgar winced. He stepped closer with a frown on his face, touching a bleeding clawmark over the other man’s brow. He bowed down and put his forehead against that of the demon hunter.  
“Thank you, Ashuran.”

The demon hunter's mocking smile vanished, replaced by surprise and utter exhaustion. The tension of battle was leaving him bit by bit, making his limbs grow heavy and his head dizzy.

Khadgar backed up for the draenei paladin to patch up Ashuran’s wounds.

“Now that you are in good hands, I shall return to the Vindikaar with these.” Illidan held up the disks. “Plans have to be made.”

They watched the huge man glide down the slope. After a few seconds, Ashuran turned his head towards Khadgar. “So, who is this man I am reminding you of?”

The archmage smiled sadly, a nostalgic look in his eyes. “Anduin Lothar. A great warrior and an even better friend. His loyalty to his friends and kingdom was unbreakable.”

The paladin finished her healing spell, and he nodded thankfully at her, slowly detaching himself from Kayn.  
The nightelf clapped him on the shoulder lightly, before taking off in direction of the battlefield together with the paladin. 

Ashuran was still limping, but the worst gashes were healed. Everything else would be tended to on the Vindikaar.

He stepped beside Khadgar. “I heard of Anduin Lothar, one of Azeroth’s greatest heroes. I don’t deserve that honor, archmage.”

“This is not about the hero. It’s about an old friend. And about a new friend.”  
Khadgar looked at the bloodelf with bright cerulean eyes, a shimmer of magic in them.

Ashuran was eyeing up the mage, pensive.  
“A demon hunter needs all the friends they can get. Your friendship is welcome.” he said, putting his fist to his heart.  
“Come on, archmage. Let’s go to the Vindikaar.”

Together, they made their way slowly down the path towards the light in the distance.


	2. The Glow of Magic

Khadgar stepped from the war meeting room on the Vindikaar into the spacious hallway. The lightforged guards saluted him, but he merely waved dismissively.

The recovery of the obsidian discs had led to discussion over discussion.  
For days now, Illidan, Turalyon, Alleria, Velen and him had been conferring about how to best use the information.

They’d planned the weakening of the Legion on their homeworlds, closing portals, sending Champions to obtain more resources, sneak attacks led by the Illidari…

“You look tired, Archmage,” someone said beside him.  
“Ashuran!” Khadgar smiled. “How come you are not in the meetings? As the leader of the Illidari, wouldn’t it be wise to participate?”

The demon hunter fell in step beside the mage.  
“No. While you were conferring, we closed three more portals, rooted out another demon nest on Krokuun and slayed a few of their commanders. We follow Lord Illidan’s tactics and care mostly for actual fighting as well as sustaining the forces.”

“I see. You have been busy indeed. Would you care to-”

“Archmage Khadgar!”  
Before the mage could finish his sentence, a young apprentice of the Kirin Tor hurried towards them. He sighed. 

“The Council of the Kirin Tor sends me to asks for your presence in the Purple Parlor,” the apprentice said, a little out of breath.  
“Why didn’t they send a magic message?” Khadgar looked the young woman over. 

“Too exhausting over that distance,” was the prompt answer. Obviously, the apprentice had asked the same question some time ago.

“I shall be there shortly. Go and refresh yourself. There is no need to trouble you with hurrying back. I planned on returning anyway.”  
The apprentice scurried off with excitement in her eyes. 

Ashuran snorted. “Don’t exhaust yourself again, Archmage. Lest I need to carry you home again.”

“Not a bad prospect, though,” Khadgar replied with a smile. However, Ashuran also saw a strange regret in the man’s eyes.  
The mage stretched out his hand, touching a gash in the demon hunter's chest armor.

His eyes lit up in the iridescent blue of his magic while he whispered a few words. The gash repaired itself.  
Ashuran felt the touch of magic all over his body, making his skin crawl.

“A Protection Spell. Be careful out there, my friend.”  
With that and another smile, the archmage hurried toward the portal to Dalaran.  
__

It was late in the night when Ashuran left the Vindikaar for Dalaran. There had been another skirmish with a few strewn forces of the Legion. He was far too agitated now to sleep, and so he decided to look after his new friend.

The mage still hadn’t fully recovered from their trip. There was no need to let people exhaust the man further.  
Ashuran climbed the stairs to the Violet Citadel, the eyes of guards and a few nightowls always upon him. 

Kalec, a member of the Council of the Kirin Tor, pointed him towards Dalaran’s core, the Chamber of the Guardian.  
“After our meeting he said he wanted to do some research on portals. You will most likely find him in one of the smaller libraries.”

The demon hunter entered the Chamber shortly after. It was quiet, the air filled with the smell of old books and the tinge of magic. Groups of chaise longues, chairs and tables were in every corner, along with forgotten cups of tea or coffee.

Ashuran found the archmage asleep over several opened tomes, a plate with untouched food beside him. The dark brew in the white cup was still hot, but he suspected magic to be the cause of that.

“I told you not to exhaust yourself,” the demon hunter murmured. He touched the man at the shoulder before shaking him.  
Khadgar only stirred a little, mumbling foreign words. 

Ashuran clicked his tongue. “Come on, old man. This is no place to sleep.”  
He took one of Khadgar’s arms, bent his knees and lifted him onto his back until he was able to grip his thighs. 

_That_ finally woke the mage, if only enough to hold on to the demonhunter. “You smell like brimstone and ashes,” he commented with slurred voice, still much closer to sleep than to a state of real wakeness and obviously not even surprised to be on Ashuran’s back again.

“Indeed. I had somewhat of an encounter with demons in Krokuun. They are now dead, and all that lingers is the scent of victory on my skin,” Ashuran said dispassionately.  
“Or maybe that is just the smell of demon inside me.”

Khadgar chuckled, his breath caressing the demon hunter's skin. It felt unexpectedly good.  
“I’ll carry you home. Wherever that might be.” Ashuran set himself in motion, leaving the Chamber of the Guardian through the teleporter stone.  
Outside they almost bumped into Kalec.

“Ah, Slayer Ashuran. Oh, and Khadgar.” If he was irritated about Ashuran carrying the taller man, he didn’t let it on.  
“I thought you might find Archmage Khadgar in that state. I’ll weave a portal into ont of the Kirin Tor’s guest chambers. Unless you wanted to carry him someplace else?”

“I doubt the Felhammer is a fitting resting place for him,” Ashuran replied dryly.  
“I would appreciate if you could let him sleep in a guest chamber. And maybe spare him any morning meetings.” He couldn’t prevent his voice from having a hint of threat in it.

Kalec laughed. “Very well. Guest chambers it is then. And I see what I can do about the morning meetings. Archmage Khadgar is a well demanded person these days.”

The demon hunter only nodded. Khadgar didn’t say anything, and his even breathing told him, that the man was asleep again.

Kalec stepped back and chanted a short string of words, his fingers weaving a portal into thin air. “You can leave the chamber over the balcony, if you want to glide. If you take the doors, it’s a few stairs back to ground level.”

“Your help is appreciated,” Ashuran said, nodding again.  
The world turned, leaving a twisting feeling in his stomach as soon as he entered the portal. It would never be his favorite way of travelling, though it was by far the fastest.

The room on the other side was dark, only illuminated by the lights of the city from outside. Gently, he laid Khadgar on the bed. The man mumbled.  
Ashuran wondered if he should wake him long enough so he’d take off his coat and robes. 

Before he came to a decision, the archmage suddenly halfway lurched from the bed, yelling a warning in his sleep.  
His eyes opened in horror, glowing in that breathtaking blue of magic.  
Before he could cast, Ashuran put his hand over the man’s mouth and pushed him down.

“No magic in the bedroom, Khadgar,” he warned.

As if on cue, the iridescent blue vanished, replaced by a look of disorientation, then relief. Reality obviously seemed to wield more comfort than whatever stirred the man from his sleep.  
“If you are awake anyway, you can as well get rid of some clothes. It cannot be wise to sleep in all of that.” The demon hunter made a gesture encompassing all of Khadgar.

The archmage blinked at him. A look around told him he was not in his own rooms.  
“Where are we?”

“Lord Kalec sent us to some guest chamber.”

“Ah.”  
With rather slow movements, Khadgar got up and was about to just magick his upper layers of clothes away, when Ashurans rough hands caught his. 

“No. Magic. In the bedroom. Archmage. Especially not in your unrested state. Here, let me help.”  
With swift fingers, Ashuran began unbuckling the mage’s belt and shoulder coat.  
Khadgar blinked at him, too surprised to object.

Finally, he chuckled.  
“Understood. Now let me do this myself, before this becomes an embarrassing situation.”  
Ashuran stepped back and watched the man undress until he only wore a light under tunic and breeches. 

The Illidari conjured a lidded clay pot out of nowhere, passing it on to the mage. “Here. It’s a strong tea. Demon hunters use it to restore their strength and balance. Its substances will help you as it helps us.”

The mage wondered if conjuring a clay pot shouldn’t fall under the ‘no magic’ rule. Did Ashuran use magic at all? He knew demon hunters used runes and other attack skills in battle that certainly weren’t only related to a blade. But was it magic? What kind of magic? That was something he had to ask later.

Khadgar lifted the lid. He didn’t really know what to expect, but the scent was surprisingly earthy and a little sweet.  
“Thank you, Ashuran.”

The demon hunter nodded.  
“Good night, archmage. I would appreciate if carrying you home would not become a habit.”

“There are certainly worse prospects, though,” Khadgar replied with a lopsided grin.

Ashuran snorted, but he couldn’t hide his amusement. With a last glance towards the mage, he went for the balcony, jumping from it into a glide through the cool night air.

Khadgar smiled warmly. He drank his tea and indeed for once, he had a very restful night.


	3. The Battle of Dalaran

Tea.  
Khadgar stared at the lidded clay pot on his desk, shaking his head. How did Ashuran manage to sneak the tea onto tables, no matter where he went?

For two weeks now, the demon hunter seemed to play silent guardian. It was touching, honestly, but he’d preferred the actual presence of the man. Not just clay pots and occasional notes.  
It was strange how fast Ashuran had grown on him. And frustrating that their duties kept them apart like this…

The tea was magnificent, however. The overall mixture changed here and then, only the taste of earthiness remained. And every time, he felt refreshed after drinking it. Just as Ashuran had promised, it helped restore his mana and balanced his magic, enhancing his concentration.

At least the day teas did. The teas he found on his dinner table, on the other hand, calmed his mind and helped him find sleep.   
If he weren’t a demon hunter, Ashuran surely would be able to become a formidable tea sommelier in Dalaran.

Khadgar lifted the lid from the pot and was about to take a sip, when the ground started shaking. The alarm spells went off just a moment later.   
“By the gods,” he cursed, hurrying to the window. 

Outside, massive infernals rose from where they had fallen onto the flying city. People were running for shelter, crying in panic.   
Why were the protective shields not up?

Demons riding on Fel bats poured from the skies onto the street. In the distance, a ship of the Legion hovered over Dalaran, besieging it with Fel cannons.  
The Archmage hurried to the door and blinked himself down to the street. The battle mages of the Kirin Tor and several Champions already gathered to meet the forces of the Legion. 

Khadgar channelled his magic into destructive spells, disintegrating one of the huge infernals.   
He had been practicing new, quicker spells fit for battle ever since he’d been on Argus with Ashuran.

Archmage Modera appeared beside him, joining the fight. “The shield crystals have been sabotaged. Kalec and a squad of guards already are on their way to repair the damage,” she yelled over the crashing sound of a building.  
“Where are those Illidari when you need them?” she cursed, binding a Nathrezim until one of the paladins slew it.

“They will come,” Khadgar assured her.   
Before they saw them, however, they heard them.

Their battle cry even droned out the noise of clashing blades and the roar of the Fel cannon. It was only a small force. Khadgar counted twenty Illidari, but oh how they fell upon the demons. He almost forgot to cast, beholding their deadly, efficient dance, whirling shadows of doom.

Together with the defenders of Dalaran, already the tides were turning in their favor.

“Archmage!” Ashuran landed beside him, together with another Illidari.   
Khadgar finished channeling another slowing spell, hindering some Nathrezim in taking down two guards. 

“Slayer.”  
It was strange calling his friend by his title, but the twitch of a wry smirk around Ashuran’s mouth was definitely worth it. 

“I have instructed the Illidari to fight alongside the forces of the Kirin Tor. They are all trained in the style of paired fighting you and I developed on Argus.”  
Ashuran turned towards Modera and nodded. “Kor'vas here will fight with you, Archmage Modera.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. Khadgar could see that Modera was not happy someone else made decisions for the Kirin Tor - at the same time he knew she was smart enough to see there was no time for complaint.  
More and more demons filled the streets of Dalaran, crushing houses, infesting everything with Fel.

“Fine. Come then, Kor'vas Bloodthorn. Try to keep up,” Modera mumbled. The Illidari just shrugged and followed her into battle.

When Khadgar looked around, he saw other demon hunters already pair up with more mages. They found their rhythm faster than he’d expected, and the combination worked marvelously against the demon forces.

He took a deep breath, before starting to channel his own mana. He’d devised a few new techniques that were better suited for battle casting and somehow he was looking forward to show them off in a fight against demons.

“So who’s the Illidari I’ll fight with?” Khadgar asked.

Ashuran snorted. “How can you even ask that, Archmage? None other than the Slayer himself will be your partner. Follow me.”

His back already turned to the mage, he couldn’t see the smile on Khadgar’s face. The Illidari led them both into battle, choosing one vicious opponent after another. 

He danced around the huge infernals, drawing their attention with his blades, so Khadgar could destroy them easily with his spells. When a horde of Fel bats came down on them, the mage wrapped himself in an arcane shield. Ashuran used it to jump high, felling the bats with whirlwind-like strikes.

Nathrezim came to meet them. Ashuran took on four of them at once, dashing left and right between them. His Blades of the Aldrachi bit into their skin. They were so wrapped up in trying to kill him, they never saw the arcane blasts coming, Khadgar sent their way, burning them to ashes.

Still, the onslaught of demons barely slowed down.   
These were by no means only the remaining forces from the Broken Shore - there must be a portal somewhere. 

Ashuran sliced another Nathrezim open head to toe, looking around. The shields still weren’t up around Dalaran.   
The Illidari retreated to Khadgar’s side.   
“There is a demon ship up there. They are preparing for heavy fire. Judging by the never-ending reinforcements, it is safe to assume there is a portal on their ship.”

The mage looked grim. “I will not let them destroy my city!”

“Let’s fall back. I need to speak with my people,” Ashuran said. “And we’ll find a way to save Dalaran.”

They made their way to the well protected Violet Citadel. A few of the Illidari already waited, as if they’d known Ashuran needed them there.   
The demon hunter exchanged a few words with the others. 

Then the bombardment started. The Legion ship laid heavy fire upon them, forcing the defenders to retreat behind magic shields. 

Modera stepped beside Khadgar. Her garment was slightly singed and she looked grim, but satisfied.   
“I take it you enjoyed yourself?” he teased her.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Khadgar. None of us enjoys fighting demons. But I have to admit it was.. satisfying to do more than just stand behind shields and firing a few bolts at them. I was sceptical, but it seems the Illidari know perfectly well how to make room for our attack spells.”

The man chuckled. It was strange, really. The situation for Dalaran was dire, and the city had taken a lot of damage over the last hours. Everyone was exhausted, many were hurt - and still. With the Illidari at their side and with Ashuran at his, he felt safe. And hopeful.

When a moment later almost all of the Illidari returned to fighting, he looked over to Ashuran. He and Kor'vas both strode towards Khadgar.

“Archmage, can you bring us up there?” Ashuran asked, pointing at the demon ship high in the sky.

Khadgar frowned. “You demand much of me, Slayer. I guess I can get you a bit above and you could glide there..”

“That suffices.”

The sly smile on Ashuran’s face gave Khadgar goosebumps. His stomach lurched, but it was not for a bad reason.  
“Very well. Have your wings ready,” he mumbled.

Doing a teleportation into mid-air was not an easy task. To be safe, Khadgar drew a circle of runes on the ground. It would help him with locating a stable end point - and also spare his own powers a bit.

The archmage incantated the words, bringing the rune circle to life, holding the spell together with one outstretched hand. “Step into the circle.”

Kor'vas and Ashuran entered with wings halfway unfolded, blades drawn.  
Khadgar looked into the Fel-glowing eyes of his friend.

“Return safely,” the mage said, before releasing the spell. The magic burst around them, locking onto their bodies. There was a rushing sound, followed by a silent plop, and the demon hunters were gone.

Exhausted, Khadgar looked up into the sky where the Illidari were two tiny dots. There was nothing to do now except to wait and trust in Ashuran and Kor'vas.

Sure enough, the fire of the Fel cannons ceased only a hundred heartbeats later. The Illidari, the Champions and the mages of the Kirin Tor left their shelter to continue decimating the demons. 

Kalec came running to Khadgar and Modera, who mostly tried to support their forces from the backlines now.  
“The shield crystals are repaired! We have re-sparked the core crystal, our defenses should be up again soon.”

“Good. That will give us the time to deal with the demons in Dalaran and buy the Slayer and Kor'vas more time to fend off that nasty ship up there,” Modera said.  
Khadgar nodded.   
Every welcome visitor to Dalaran could enter and leave through the shields as they pleased.

That meant Ashuran and Kor'vas would be able to glide through - but the demons would be locked outside.  
Trying to focus again, Khadgar channeled more of his magic into supportive spells, freezing demons, halting them with arcane blasts or simply holding them back with aimed shots at their chests.

But his gaze wandered up to the Legion ship again and again. Despite knowing this was all daily business for the Illidari, he feared for the safety of his friend.  
He was relieved beyond all means when he saw someone glide from the Legion ship - only to feel dread as he realized it was Kor'vas. Only Kor'vas.

He left the safety of the magic shields the Kirin Tor had erected around the Violet Citadel to meet her. She landed lightfootedly.

“Where is Ashuran?” Khadgar asked, his voice full of worry.

Kor'vas’ eyes widened. “Is he not with you? He should have left the ship by now!”

The mage shook his head.  
Kor'vas cursed. “Then he is doomed. The ship will explode any second now.”

Khadgar went pale. Frantically, he searched the sky for Ashuran. The relief he felt when he finally saw the Illidari glide from the Legion ship turned once again into dread as it was torn apart by a deafening explosion only a moment later.

Without even thinking, he started running towards Ashuran. The shock wave and the fire hit the demon hunter full in the back, disrupting his gliding. Huge pieces of debris rained down on Dalaran.   
The archmage saw them collide with the Illidari in the sky and cried out.

“NO!”  
Not caring about anything around him, Khadgar stumbled through ashes and broken buildings, his eyes only on the falling demon hunter.   
He didn’t really notice the Illidari falling in beside him, keeping a few last demons away from him or shielding him from falling debris. 

Khadgar ran faster. If he just got a little closer, maybe he could weave a Feather Fall around Ashuran. Just a little. Just…   
He started casting nevertheless, calling the spell to his tongue and moving his fingers, running, running…

“Archmage, look out!” one of the Illidari called to him. But he was too determined to save Ashuran to heed the warning. Pushing the mana in the spell, he forced it out as far as he could. It connected with the demon hunter, slowing his fall immediately.

In the same moment, the ground dropped away under Khadgar. He had trespassed the borders of the flying city without noticing. 

_How ironic… now I face the fate I saved Ashuran from… and I have no strength to cast the Raven form..._

Someone yanked him back harshly. “Not so fast, Archmage. No wings, no jumping.”  
Khadgar stumbled backwards. Fingers around his arm steadied him before he could fall again - but at least in the safer direction.

Kayn Sunfury held him steadfast, yet he did not look at him. Instead, his eyes followed Kor'vas. She had climbed a building and dived now head first into the abyss around Dalaran, only to stretch her wings when she found an upstream.   
She caught Ashuran a moment later, and it was due to the Feather Fall that her wings could support both their weight.

Kor'vas brought the Slayer to the solid ground of the city. Khadgar was at Ashuran’s side at once. 

The blood elf looked terrible.  
His hair and back were singed, his wings hanging down limply, partly torn. Where the debris had hit him, the demon hunter must have broken bones. Blood was dripping from his left temple and his back.

Khadgar touched the man only with his fingertips.   
“Ashuran. Wake up. Look at me, please.”  
It was a foolish request, really. But he needed to see a life sign. Needed to hear a word. 

“Please, Ashuran..” he pleaded again.  
Kayn and Kor'vas exchanged a look. They thought Khadgar’s pleading futile. The Slayer’s state was dire, even for a demon hunter with superhuman healing.

Both of them inhaled loudly, when Ashuran indeed stirred.   
“You.. demand… much of.. me… Archmage.”  
His eyes were barely open. His breathing was accompanied by a gurgling, rasping sound.

“Thank the gods,” Khadgar whispered, touching his forehead lightly to the demon hunter’s chest. 

“Archmage, he needs rest. And a healer,” Kayn reminded the man now.

“Yes, of course. Let’s make haste! I shall change the Feather Fall to a Levitation spell, so you can carry him more easily.”  
Khadgar murmured a cantrip. Ashuran became light as a feather.  
The blood elf closed his eyes again, falling back into deep unconsciousness.

Kor'vas and Kayn guided the floating demon hunter onwards, following the mage through the ruins back to a street. Healers were already spreading throughout Dalaran to care for those who were off worse.

One of the Highpriests approached them, an Illidari at his side. Khadgar was once more thankful for their efficient, strategic thinking.   
The priest nodded at the group before examining Ashuran quickly. 

“I can give him a healing, but his body won’t endure more than stabilization right now. He is too heavily wounded. I’ll do what I can. After, he needs a lot of bandages, ointments, tinctures and especially: rest.”  
The priest started chanting in a quiet voice, wrapping layers of light around Ashuran’s limp body. 

Again, Kayn and Kor'vas exchanged a look.  
“He should stay with you, Archmage Khadgar. The Felhammer might be our current… home. But we think a less demonic place to rest is more appropriate for the Slayer.”

Surprised, Khadgar met the eyes of the demon hunters. Having Ashuran around, being able to look after him… it certainly would lift a heavy weight from his heart. He was not allowed on the Felhammer. He would not be able to even visit Ashuran.   
But in his guest chamber?

“I shall have the balcony windows open at all times, so you can visit him whenever you please,” he promised softly.   
Kayn bowed slightly. “We appreciate that.”

While they made their way back to the Violet Citadel, all Dalaran celebrated the victory.   
Khadgar, however, merely looked down at Ashuran’s face and smiled.


	4. A Heart's Request

Ashuran woke to the sound of dripping water and the smell of tinctures and herbs. He had trouble focusing his gaze.   
As a demon hunter, he might not have eyeballs anymore, but he’d learned to see with the powers given to him.   
He should be able to see perfectly well, even with eyes closed.

He didn’t. And for a moment, that caused his heart to clench in his chest in slight panic. Ashuran didn’t remember much of what happened. Exploding ship, pain, blackness. Khadgar’s voice calling him…

But if he couldn’t even use his sight, it must be bad.

“Ashuran?”  
Khadgar’s voice. It made him turn is head slightly to the side.

“You’re awake!” It sounded so happy, the blood elf couldn't help but smile weakly.

“So it seems,” he rasped. When a cold, wet cloth touched his forehead, he flinched in surprise.

“You were out for two days. Your fever just broke an hour ago. I was very worried,” the archmage said. 

“I can’t say it was pleasant, being hit by a whole Legion ship.” Ashuran lifted his hand to catch the one dabbing at his forehead.  
“I will be fine, however. I don’t die easily.”   
He pulled Khadgar’s hand to his chest, over his beating heart. “See?”

The archmage cleared his throat.   
“Indeed. It feels indeed alive, Ashuran.”

The way he said his name felt very pleasant.   
He gripped the hand he was holding a bit tighter, bringing it to his lips slowly. He felt for the tiniest sign that the archmage wanted to object to this.

A pull, a twitch.. A word.  
But nothing happened, so Ashuran placed a kiss into the palm of the man. 

There was a slightly shaky exhalation. Another clearing of throat. Gently, Khadgar retrieved his hand.   
“You are aware that this is in no culture we know a mere gesture of friendship, yes?”

Ashuran tried to focus his gaze again, so he could see the man’s face. It displeased him he still failed at it.  
“I am aware. As you had the opportunity to object, I take it it was not unpleasant for you.”

“It was unexpected and delightful. I am merely astounded at how you are bound to the bed and still possess the means to charm me. Or maybe it is because you don’t look the strong demon hunter and more fragile blood elf right now.”

Ashuran grimaced. “Ah, my pride. I’m hurt enough, is it really necessary to undermine my carefully sustained reputation of the hardened, unstoppable warrior?” 

Khadgar’s laugh was such a good sound to hear.   
The archmage took the cloth from Ashuran’s forehead and put it back in the bowl, judging by the sound of it.   
“I’m sorry. I’m so used to seeing you in full armor, having you around without clothes is.. New.”

The demon hunter snorted. “Without doubt. How about we explore how delightful exactly we both find the presence of the other? It would make the possible arrangement of the state ‘unclothed’ much easier. Especially the state ‘unclothed’ and ‘unbandaged’.”

“That is a very overblown way to ask me out,” Khadgar noted dryly. 

“It is only fitting. You are an Archmage after all,” Ashuran replied with a smirk.

He felt fingers around his left hand. Lips brushing against his knuckles.   
“First, you recover. You need your rest, Ashuran.”

“Fair enough. However, I remind you: the war is still going on. As long as I am here and recovering, I can give you easily all my time. When the healers release me, I might be willing to spend all my spare time with you - but how much spare time I have depends on how the campaign is going. Our raid on the Throne of Antorus is going to be in the very near future.”

Khadgar sighed. “True.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to touch one of the bandaged wings that was spread out under Ashuran. 

The archmage fell silent for a moment, then: “I’m very grateful you are alive. I never know when I might lose you in a battle. I already know my heart’s wish and would be delighted to spend time with you.”

The demon hunter smiled. He tried to focus his sight once more, searching for Khadgar’s face above him. Yet his sight still eluded him.  
“It is frustrating. I cannot even see you,” the Illidari complained. He closed his eyes - more out of habit than because he needed to do it. 

“You can’t? I guess your body needs all its resources for your healing. Give it another day, Ashuran.”

The demon hunter heard the rustling of clothes, feeling the man’s shadow falling over him. He felt Khadgar’s lips on his forehead. He would have preferred a true kiss, on the other hand, this was more than he’d expected in the first place. 

“Rest, yes? I need to attend to a few things. I will be back in a few hours.”

Ashuran closed his eyes with a hum. “Don’t exert yourself too much, Archmage. Lest I need to rise and find you.”

“Not the worst prospect,” Khadgar laughed. 

When the door closed behind the man, the Illidari drifted back into a sound sleep.  
__

In the end, they couldn’t spend as much time as both of them would have liked. Council meetings and tactical ones kept Khadgar busy. Re-building many of Dalaran’s houses as well as restoring the shield crystals to full capacity took a lot of time, too.

Kayn Sunfury visited twice a day to keep Ashuran updated, and whenever the Illidari was not present, one of the healers came by to change bandages, apply tinctures and shove a cup of healing tea in his hands.

Ashuran’s sight returned a day after his first waking. His body’s healing process sped up, too, no doubt due to the careful help of the healers. Where any normal being would have taken weeks to fully recover, he recovered in a few days.

Finally, the healers deemed him fit to return to the fighting. He denied them to take off the bandages, however, and kept sitting calmly on the edge of the comfortable bed. Allari had brought him his repaired amor, everything neatly folded and stacked, waiting for him on a chair.  
At the moment, the only thing he’d donned were his sturdy pants.

When someone knocked at the door, Ashuran rose. “Come in,” he said.   
Khadgar entered the room with a bit of hesitation. Instead of his usual surcoat and amor, the mage had only donned light trousers and a dark blue tunic with silvery embroidered hems.  
No belt, no pouches, no staff.

“It is the first time I see you in casual clothing, Archmage,” Ashuran remarked, his head tilted in slight interest.

Khadgar nodded. “I know. I thought we could.. Go out. Together.” He sounded a bit nervous.   
“You are still sporting some bandages. I thought the healers gave their approval for you to leave?”

The demon hunter smiled.   
“Right now, they merely have ornamental function. I assure you, I am at best health.”  
He took one step closer to the archmage, head slightly tilted upwards to look the man in the eyes.   
“Tomorrow, I’ll return to duty. Will you have dinner with me tonight?”

Khadgar blinked in surprise, then chuckled. The straight-fowardness of the demon hunter once again took him a little off guard, though he should have anticipated it - he’d ask the same thing just a minute ago, after all.  
“Certainly. I have no further appointments today, Slayer,” he said. 

Ashuran nodded. “Meet me at the eighth hour in the “Nook of Roses”, then. It’s a small tavern. Don’t change your clothes. You look really fetching in these.” The man brushed his fingers against the other’s robes, before stepping around the archmage and starting to put on his armor. 

Taking a deep breath, Khadgar turned towards him. “I can do that,” he mumbled, watching Ashuran adjust his armor, the leather creaking slightly now and then. Only when the blood elf raised his gaze to meet his eyes with a sly smile did the archmage notice that he was staring.

Clearing his throat to regain something like dignity, Khadgar opened the doors to the balcony with an elegant flick of his hand. 

Ashuran smirked.   
“Eighth hour, Nook of Roses,” he repeated, his wings appearing on his back now. He spread them to check if they were indeed fully functional. When the archmage nodded in acknowledgement, he jumped onto the balustrade and fell into a glide down into the city of Dalaran.  
__

When Khadgar arrived at the Nook of Roses a few hours later, he felt nervous for the first time in quite a while. He was also late, courtesy of an impromptu meeting with Illidan himself. Of course the matters of saving the world were more important than a date. 

Nevertheless, the archmage hated to be late. Standing in front of the door instead of entering, he wondered if Ashuran was even still here.   
“No one waits over an hour for someone to appear to a date. I even forgot to send a message, fool that is me…” Khadgar mumbled to himself. 

“While that might be true for the regular kind of people to meet in a tavern for romantic reasons, it is most certainly not for us and not in times of war meetings,” Ashuran said dryly, starting the archmage. 

He whirled around, finding the demon hunter leaning against the wall farther back in the alley. The man had exchanged his armor for leather pants and a simple tunic of dark garnet red, his silvery blonde hair neatly braided into one plait. 

The blood elf looked breathtaking.

Before Khadgar found his voice again, Ashuran approached with a smirk. “You worry too much, Archmage. I am well informed and was aware you would be late. And even if I was not, I’d have waited for you - or simply gone to your chambers to inquire if you forgot about our date. In these times I wouldn’t have been surprised to find you asleep over your precious tomes..”

Relieved, the mage chuckled. “I only fall asleep over tomes in places from where you can carry me home, Slayer,” Khadgar replied with a soft smile. 

With an amused snort, the blood elf opened the door to the tavern. “Come, Archmage. Time for dinner.”


	5. The Nook of Roses

The Nook of Roses was a small etablissement, and as beautiful as its name promised. Roses grew around the entrance door, their heavy, luscious scent carrying into the tavern. The dark wooden floor was polished by the use of many feet. The atmosphere was a quiet mumble of voices and the soft sound of two minstrels plucking the strings of their lutes. 

Candles floated magically in the air. The ceiling was covered in carvings of roses, as well as real roses, magic doubtlessly having a hand in this as well.   
Ashuran led them through the tavern into the backyard, where a few more tables stood under the starry sky, surrounded by roses in the deepest, richest red. 

A young human led them to a table, cleaning away an empty mug of beer, and Khadgar didn’t even sit yet before a nicely dressed waiter brought a plate of appetizers, as well as two glasses of Dalaran’s finest mana wine. 

“I admit I’m a bit overwhelmed. The name of the tavern promised a romantic setup, but this is.. This is much more than I expected,” he finally said after a few moments. 

“Romantic setups are not my strong suit. But as Lord Illidan teaches us almost every day, it is important to be prepared, so I did my research,” Ashuran replied quietly. “I had a little help. Archmage Modera and Kor'vas both recommended this place.”

Surprised, Khadgar blinked. “Intriguing.”

“I asked them both independently. Strangely, both mentioned wanting to come here in the near future, asking me to report back to them about the Nook in terms of suitable date etablissement,” Ashuran continued, swirling the wine in his glass. 

“The lady Kor'vas did not strike me as the type for.. - wait.”  
Khadgar leaned forward over the table. “Are you telling me there might be a connection..?”

Ashuran shrugged. “I did not inquire, but personally, I think Archmage Modera and Kor'vas enjoyed themselves quite a lot during the last battle. It felt like there was a bit of a spark, don’t you think?”

The mage leaned back again and let out a low whistle. “I think it would be marvelous! Let’s hope for the best. My friend could need good company in these trying times, if you ask me, and Kor'vas is a great woman. Any more archmages I should know about who are dating your Illidari?”

The demon hunter smirked. “They are not my Illidari, but no, not as far as I am informed. Most of us have different matters on our mind right now. For several reasons I kept our date a secret for now, though of course Kor'vas has a clue something is going on right now - she just doesn’t know with whom yet.”  
He frowned.   
“Or maybe she does. But she’ll keep quiet about it.”

Emptying his first glass, Khadgar sighed. He chose a few more of the tasty things from the plate, chewing silently.   
When the waiter came to bring more wine, they ordered a main dish and dessert, falling into easy conversation afterwards.

Ashuran deliberately chose topics that had nothing to do with the war or anything related. The evening advanced fast.   
Khadgar hadn’t felt this relaxed in what felt like aeons. The wine was refreshingly tart, the food not too heavy, but savory and delicious. 

By now, every table was occupied, yet it was not loud nor did it feel crowded - and he appreciated that a lot.   
He looked almost sadly into his near-to-empty wine glass, wishing for more time with Ashuran in this marvelous place. 

But the next day held more talking, planning and warfare, which made sleep essential. As if on cue, Ashuran beckoned to the waiter, paying everything before Khadgar could object. He rose with more grace than someone with a bottle of wine in his bloodstream should be allowed to have, offering the archmage his arm.

“Care for a slow walk home, Archmage?” Ashuran said, his voice dropping a bit lower, creating delicious goosebumps on Khadgar’s skin. The human took the arm, getting to his feet a bit wobbly. 

“It is not fair. You clearly have the whole.. Metabolism advantage and such,” he mumbled with slurred voice. Ashuran merely chuckled. He led them out of the beautiful tavern into the alleys of Dalaran, walking at a slow pace as promised and by no means taking the most direct way back to the Violet Citadel. 

Khadgar stopped before they could leave the shadows of the last street before reaching the square in front of the Citadel.   
“I don’t want this to end. It was such a nice evening, I enjoyed every bit of it. But tomorrow.. Tomorrow we return to our dangerous life in this war,” he said, gripping Ashuran’s arm harder, eyes fixed on the claw-like nails of these unnatural dark-red hands. 

The blood elf turned towards him, the glowing green eyes solemn.   
“It’s not yet tomorrow,” he said. He raised one hand to Khadgar’s face, caressing it gently. 

Leaning into the touch with eyes closed, the mage sighed.   
“What if you don’t return from the Throne of Antorus?”

Silence.

“I am hard to kill, Archmage,” the demon hunter finally said.

Khadgar opened his eyes again and frowned, shaking his head softly. He stepped away from the blood elf, rubbing his temples. He didn’t even know why his mind wandered to such a dark place right now. What did it matter? He should enjoy this evening to the very last end, instead of bringing up sorrows that might never come true. 

And even if they did, who cared? It changed nothing!

“Khadgar.”

That got his attention. The archmage looked at Ashuran in surprise, and was even more surprised at the soft, warm expression on the man’s face. 

With a quick step, the blood elf closed the small distance between them, reaching up to lay a hand behind the neck of the archmage, pulling gently, testingly.  
“You worry too much,” Ashuran whispered. 

Khadgar did not pull away, following the tug with an exciting mess of knots in his stomach.   
The lips of the demon hunter were hot, covered in some kind of balm. He smelled like brimstone and roses right now, which might have been an oddly distracting kind of scent if his mind wasn’t occupied by the slow, gentle kiss.

Occupied by the flick of a tongue against his lips. 

Khadgar opened his mouth to this absolutely amazing, almost scorching heat that was the other man, pressing himself flush against him, drowning in the dizzying feeling.   
Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him. 

The lazy gentleness of the kiss slowly became more passionate. There was a teasing nibbling of an incisor, a salacious dancing of tongues. Somewhere in-between, Khadgar’s back hit the wall. 

Surely, they must have kissed for a hundred heartbeats already, but it felt much shorter when their lips parted ways.   
Ashuran licked his lips with a deep satisfaction in his eyes. Their faces might be apart right now, but their bodies were still tightly pressed against each other. 

Khadgar felt his own arousal, and the demon hunter’s as well. Exhaling deeply, he rested his forehead on Ashuran’s shoulder, where he could smell more of the brimstone.   
The hand of the man broadly stroked his back upwards, but downwards he teasingly raked his claws over it, making the archmage’s nethers pulse. 

He cleared his throat.   
“I would like to.. Study your fascinating body more closely, demon hunter.”

Ashuran laughed short and loud, burying his head and horns against Khadgar’s chest in deep amusement.   
“With pleasure,” he replied, voice dropping even deeper than before. 

Steadying himself, Khadgar straightened a bit. “Hold on tight.”  
He mumbled an incantation, and beneath them the ground illuminated, arcane runes flashing, before the vertigo whisked them directly to Khadgar’s bedchamber, where they took all the time in the world to ‘study’.


	6. A Scream in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about two weeks and a bit in the future.

__

_With a last effort, Khadgar managed to finish his incantation. The huge portal flickered and imploded, leaving a trail of demon bodies torn in half when the connection to their home world Nathreza suddenly vanished._

_“We did it!” the Archmage yelled, part exhausted, part exuberant, turning towards Ashuran who was fighting behind him._  
_The demon hunter gave him an approving nod, when suddenly claws dug themselves in his back._

 _With horror, Khadgar watched the Nathrezim lord throwing his friend to the ground with a twisted laugh, Ashuran’s eyes now without glow. The ground beneath the demon hunter became wet with darkness. Despair and fury rose within him._

__

_The attack spell was on his lips, forming in his hands faster than he could think. Before he could finish his casting, a calloused hand pressed against his mouth from behind and another caught his right wrist._

“We talked about magic in the bedroom, Archmage,” a well-known voice said close to Khadgar’s ear.

Tensing, the mage opened his eyes to the blackness of his chambers in Dalaran, struggling for another few moments before he realized he’d been dreaming again.

Slowly, Khadgar let his magic ebb off, sagging in the arms that held him from behind. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. 

Ashuran stroked his arms, whispering calming nonsense in his mother tongue. Or maybe it wasn’t nonsense at all, but it was Khadgar’s lack of knowledge about the tongue of the Sin'dorei.

Shivering, he leaned even more into the warmth behind him. The demon hunter kissed his shoulder and neck where he could without bumping his horns against the mage.

“That was the third time this week, archmage. Because you promised it was nothing, I refrained from counting the multiple occasions you had a nightmare in the two weeks before. I think I have been patient enough,” Ashuran said. 

The slight tensing in Khadgar’s shoulders made the blood elf sigh. He wrapped his arms tighter around the taller man, pressing his nose against his shoulder for a moment, listening to hitched breath becoming calmer. None of them talked for a while.

Ashuran kept his arms around the other man and gave him another few heartbeats, before he spoke.  
“Come, tell me what haunts you, Khadgar.”

The archmage lowered his head, breathing out deeply. Ashuran let himself fall back into the cushions, dragging the other man with him. 

Khadgar rested his head against the warm chest of the demon hunter. For another few moments he stayed silent, and Ashuran didn’t push.  
Finally, Khadgar sighed. 

“I always dream about us. We’re back in the Wastes of Antorus, surrounded by hordes of demons. There is a portal which we manage to close. It feels like a huge victory, but then.. A demon kills you, claws through your back. He throws you onto the ground with a laugh and there is.. Blood. It always feels so real… there is rage and despair, I try to cast a spell.. And that is when I wake up.”  
His voice became hoarse towards the end. 

“It looks like our adventures on Argus took more of a toll on you than was apparent at first,” the demon hunter murmured. He wove his fingers gently through those of Khadgar’s right hand and brought it to his lips, trying to sort through the feelings this revelation brought to him. 

“I was afraid of you dying several times,”, Khadgar admitted.  
“I’m afraid of you dying still. This war is not over yet.. No, the worst is yet to come.”

Ashuran frowned. Having nightmares of this kind must be harsh for the archmage. The man had seen war before, but fighting the Legion was a whole different matter than what the archmage had faced on Draenor.

The wish to protect the man from the Legion and the nightmares it brought was strong. But Ashuran could not undo the things that happened on Argus, nor the hardships they both had lived through on the unforgiving surface of that world. 

“I am truly sorry that I brought this upon you. I am honored that your heart feels this strongly about me. I wasn’t aware that our time on Argus was taking this much of a toll on you. Maybe because I didn’t think I left such a deep impression that early before I tried to woo you,” the demon hunter admitted softly. 

Khadgar lifted his head, sitting up to be able to look the demon hunter in the face.  
“You almost sacrificed yourself for me and this city more than once. Is it so strange that I fear to lose a friend? An ally? A lover? Is it so strange that I did and do value your life so much that it haunts me today?”  
The mage’s cerulean eyes searched Ashuran’s face, but the demon hunter looked away.

For a few heartbeats, silence fell between them. Finally, Ashuran spoke.

“It is not strange. However, it is unexpected. After becoming a demon hunter, our friendships only were among us, and even there they were rare. We are tools in a crusade, and our hatred for the Legion forged us into weapons. Among ourselves, we do value each other, but it is only recently that we bond. Bonds are luxury in a war.”  
Ashuran lifted one of his hands. Towards the fingers, they were a deeper red, almost the color of rust. His nails were claw-like, and could tear through skin easily. These hands had killed demons in the hundreds or more.

“So yes, in a way, while we all might have known friendship and love at some point in our lives, now that we are demon hunters it does feel strange. Strange that someone might be willing to mourn us, when most of society still looks at us in disgust. We are not used to be welcome.”

He lifted his gaze when Khadgar touched his cheek softly.  
“Times are changing, Ashuran. Your reputation does, too.”

The Illidari smiled. “I know. That’s why I’m in your bedchambers, archmage. Trying to wake you from nightmares the Legion brings to you. In a way, that is also fighting demons.”

Khadgar chuckled.  
“I am sure with your help the nightmares will fade in due time. They are not pretty, but I can handle them. Thankfully you are here to avert the arcane obliteration of my bedroom.”  
With a smile on his face, he let his hand wander from Ashuran’s cheek down the neck and chest, his fingertips tracing the glowing tattoos and the shape of muscles under skin. 

“And now that you fought my demons, how do you intend to undo my state of awakeness, demon hunter?”

Ashuran’s smile turned dirty.  
“I am sure I can find a way or two…”


	7. The End of Things

The Throne of Antorus was a looming structure of darkness, towering over the Wastes of Antorus like a thorn in the shattered world called Argus.  
The time had come to end the reign of the Burning Legion. 

From a rocky ledge up high, Illidan Stormrage looked at the scenery before him with a dark, satisfied grin. The allies gathered for the final assault on this bastion of despair, his demon hunters spread either among them or in position to strike swiftly from the shadows. 

Ashuran approached the man silently. “You called me,” he said quietly, though there was no real need of reminding the man of his presence. Illidan must have longe sensed him coming. 

The huge figure of the former Nightelf turned around.  
“Indeed.” Illidan stepped closer, his expression strangely solemn.  
“You have been my most capable and most loyal Illidari for many years now, aptly fulfilling whatever task I hurled at you. Without your cunning, this crusade of mine most certainly would have taken a few harsh setbacks.”

Ashuran lifted his brows in surprise. He’d never expected a praise of this magnitude from Illidan. 

The huge man smiled. An almost benevolent, proud smile. It made Ashuran’s skin crawl and dread settled in his stomach.  
It was not a smile usually to be seen on the features of Illidan Stormrage’s face. 

“Whatever today’s outcome might be, the chances are high that I will not return, be it by death or by choice.”

The blood elf clenched his teeth. “You have driven this crusade for thousands and thousands of years. I will not stand by and let you die today, Lord Illidan!”

The nightelf grinned sardonically.  
He turned his gaze over to the Throne of Antorus once more. “Once we free the titans of the Pantheon from Sargeras’ dark intentions, they can pull him back onto his seat. And I will be there to fight him. I need you, the Army of the Light and the champions to carry me there. To clear the path.”

Silence.

“I need you to stay alive and remain the leader of the Illidari. It is merely a formality that I say this. You have been their true leader for quite some time after all. And I couldn’t wish for anyone better. You are far more qualified to lead than I ever was.”

Ashuran shook his head. “Lord Illidan, I am honored by-”

“Also you can omit the title anytime we are alone.” Illidan turned towards Ashuran again, one eyebrow lifted. “If there is anyone I would call a friend in these times, it is you. And I think we both are aware of that.”

The blood elf closed his eyes with furrowed brows, clenching his teeth harder for a moment. He couldn’t really tell what he felt. Sadness? Despair? Pride? Joy? All of that at once?  
When he was ready to face his mentor - and friend - again, he found the man looking at him with utmost calm. 

“You really know how to lift someone up just to rip apart their heart at the same time,” Ashuran finally said, sounding more tired than he wanted to.  
“What sense does it make to honor me with your friendship, when after this day you will not be around for me to actually enjoy this?”

Illidan shrugged non-chalantly.  
“I have made many hard and cruel choices in my life. To say I have no regrets would be an outrageous lie. Not telling you I consider you my friend is one I do not want to add to that.”  
He approached a few steps, wrapping one of his huge hands around Ashuran’s left shoulder. 

With a heavy sigh, the blood elf shook his head. “My feelings toward you have become a lot more complicated in the last minute. I can’t say that I am happy, for I always hoped you would remain with the Illidari after the final fight.” 

Illidan’s smile vanished. Without it, the hard lines of his face, the features of his elven and demonic nature became sharp and unforgiving.  
“That was never an option. Not for me. The hunter is nothing without their prey, and I have hunted for such a long time, my whole existence has only one single purpose: the death of Sargeras.”

“So what if he dies and you survive?”

A flicker of a smile tugged at Illidan’s lips, not answering the question. 

Ashuran shook his head again. “I can respect your wish, Illidan, but it doesn’t mean I like it. I will carry this burden for you. I will remain leader and keep the Illidari together to protect Azeroth - though I do hope it will not be necessary after the Legion is gone. If I’m truly your friend, I beg you to at least consider returning one day. Should you survive.”

For a moment, Illidan seemed to ponder over this. Finally, he just nodded.  
“Should I survive, I will give it some thought. Now, are you prepared to follow me into the abyss one last time?”

“Always,” Ashuran replied, his heart heavy, but his determination to bring things to an end still burning hot in his chest.  
__

It was a long and harsh battle. The forces of the Light fought their way slowly through the immense hordes of demons. To Ashuran’s relief, Khadgar stayed back on the Draenei ship, the Vindicaar, to maintain a magical network of communications as well as support from there together with a few other Kirin Tor mages. 

It was one thing less Ashuran needed to be concerned about, for on the Vindicaar, Khadgar would be as safe as one could be when involved into this hell. 

They took out one Legion commander after another. They entered portal after portal, clearing away the demonic scum, cutting off the supply lines, before they went through a tedious fight with the Coven of Shivarra which held the Pantheon’s titans prison.

When the sisters fell, the tormented souls of the titans were finally free, giving them all at least a moment of rest. There were still battles ahead, before the Pantheon could pull Sargeras onto his former seat to either end him or whatever else was necessary to untwist his corrupted titan mind.

Ashurans warglaives of the Aldrachi cut into the flesh of his enemies, drawing their attention, while others dealt blow after blow. 

They reached Aggramar, once a titan of great loyalty to life and all that was good, now infested with Sargeras’ twisted whispers. He, too, fell.  
Before his body could register the end of the fight, Ashuran pressed on towards the chamber of the Pantheon, where the titans had their seats. There, they would face Argus, the titan who carried the name of the shattered world. 

Shattered, broken, corrupted. 

Nothing but a tool for Sargeras’ schemes, the one titan that was used to fuel the endless regenerating process of the Legion’s demons. His scythe sliced through air with a harrowing sound, sowing death among Ashuran’s allies. 

He saw Kor'vas going down and jumped between her and the next attack. Argus should target him, and him only, but the titan simply refused to play by Ashuran’s rules. With gritted teeth, the blood elf caught the tremendous scythe with his Aldrachi warblades, sending sparks in all directions. 

The eyes of the titan were emotionless, showing the emptiness of a tormented soul. Argus pushed forward hard and fast, flinging Ashuran back several meters. A myriad of spells hit the titan from all directions. Vines entangled his legs, shards of ice and arcane magic pierced his skin, buying Ashuran some time to catch his breath.  
The echoing scream of pain shook the whole room. Eonar stood from her seat. The titan of life resurrected those who had fallen in this fight, before sinking back tiredly. 

The Pantheon could not help much here. They needed to gather their strength for Sargeras.  
Ashuran wiped blood from his face. Gripping his blades harder, he jumped right at Argus again.

It was a long, bloody fight, and whatever all of them still got, this fight took it all. Every ounce of strength, mana and swiftness. Every arrow, every spell, all the cunning.  
When Argus finally crumbled to the floor, Ashuran went down on one knee, wavering from exhaustion.  
The world around him was strangely blurry. 

He barely noticed the praise of the titans around them, or Magni Bronzebart’s ear-shattering cheer. A huge hand gripped his arm, pulling him back onto his feet slowly. Lifting his gaze, he saw Illidan standing right beside him.  
“Well done, Slayer,” he said with a vicious smile, spreading his wings, shielding Ashuran from the view of their allies. 

Illidan touched the blood elf’s forehead. Pain seared through him, spreading through his limbs, his wings, through every part of his existence, yet it was impossible to scream. It burned away the exhaustion and wounds, leaving him dizzy with a new, humming force inside. 

“Won’t you need your power yourself?”, Ashuran mumbled, rubbing his temples. 

Instead of answering, Illidan lifted one of his own glaives. The blade was burning with the might of the flame of Azzinoth. He touched it against the warblades of the Aldrachi, covering them in green, eerie fire.

“It’s almost time. This is my last gift to you, Ashuran. A part of my power, and a spark of Azzinoth. You’ll need it.”

The titans rose from their seats before Ashuran could reply.  
“It’s time, mortals. You have fought admirably. Now it is our turn. Go. There is nothing more you can do. We will take care of Sargeras,” one of them said. 

One by one, their allies vanished into the light, returning to the Vindicaar. Finally, Ashuran stepped away from Illidan as well.  
“Don’t forget. You promised to at least consider coming back.”

“ _If_ I survive.”  
The night elf gave a crooked smile. 

Ashuran summoned a bright green crystal and threw it for him to catch, watching Illidan plucking it out of mid air swiftly.  
“You will. But if we don’t meet again.. Die well.” And he stepped into the Light.

__

It was a marvelous thing to behold. From the front windows of the Vindicaar, they witnessed the power of the Pantheon, forcing Sargeras into his carnal self. The titan’s ire vibrated through the Great Dark Beyond. 

He’d been so close to corrupting the last sleeping titan, Azeroth herself. In a last act of rebellion, Sargeras rammed his sword into the world.  
There was a flash of light, as the Vindicaar sped up, the stars blurred, the rift that connected Azeroth and Argus closed with a ripping sound…

“It’s over,” Ashuran said, mostly to convince himself. A long crusade was over. He looked at his hands, his weapons, his tattoos, wondering if all of this would be even needed in the future.  
When he sheathed the Aldrachi warblades, he felt someone behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know it was his archmage.

“I’m glad you made it back alive,” Khadgar whispered gently. 

Ashuran could hear him perfectly well, despite the joy, laughter, tears, cheers and general ruckus getting louder around them. He suspected magic to carry the voice of the man directly to his ear. 

When he turned towards the man, he saw Khadgar stepping closer, sporting one of these slightly crooked smiles of his. 

The demon hunter grinned. “I’m hard to kill, archmage.”  
He pulled the chuckling man into his arms and kissed him deeply, with all the fever of a survivor.  
It became a long kiss. 

“Let’s go home,” the archmage finally whispered, putting his chin on top of Ashuran’s head while holding the demon hunter as close as possible. 

From the corner of his eye, the blood elf caught a few very surprised expressions from some of his Illidari as well as a few other mages. Actually almost half the crowd gaped.  
Not Kor'vas. She merely grinned like a jackal.

Turalyon, the leader of the Army of Light who also happened to be a good friend of Khadgar, stared at them incredulously, almost reproachful. Ashuran felt Khadgar tense. Obviously, his archmage caught on to what was happening around them, realizing that a well kept secret suddenly was out.

“I think this is a perfect moment to show of your archmage prowess,” the blood elf said with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

“I think you are right. Hold on tight.”  
Beneath them formed the teleportation runes Ashuran was only all to familiar with by now. He buried his face contently against the chest of Khadgar for as much as his horns allowed. 

“Khadgar! You can’t just leave like this, for Light’s sake!” Turalyon yelled, his heavy footfalls as indignant as his voice.

“Terribly sorry, Turalyon. We have urgent matters to attend!” Khadgar replied with his sternest archmage voice.

Ashuran almost choked on a chuckle, grateful that the vertigo took them away before it could become outright laughter - not that after this his edgy reputation would uphold much longer...


End file.
